‘Environmental press’ is a term given for the pressure that is exerted upon any creature within its habitat. A lion must deal with the prevailing conditions, be it climate, vegetation, availability of food, water and a suitable mating partner, not to mention potential rivals and threats. We as humans are no different, and just like lions or any other form of wildlife, we are facing more challenging and competitive conditions. The ability to adapt to and withstand the pressures of life is what all our predecessors did for us to be here today. In the process, we have evolved a myriad of powerful coping mechanisms that are still available for us to draw upon. Unfortunately, with the rapid rate of technological advancement we have lost touch with many practices that helped previous generations to weather the storms of life. It’s now high time we revisited these ancient practices in order to ensure our own survival and the prosperity of future generations.
Personal creativity is the first practice we need to nurture. Julia Cameron in her book ‘The Artist’s Way’ introduces the idea of Morning Pages. First thing every day, you are encouraged to write down whatever thoughts or ideas, feelings or sensations are surfacing – just pour them out onto the paper, filling a complete A4 page or two A5 pages. This is a powerful way of cleansing or unblocking yourself from repetitive thinking patterns. Remember, so much of our thinking is informed by our culture, and by shifting our thoughts onto paper we declutter and move towards our deeper creative potential.
Conscious breathing is the second practice we need to nurture. Stress and environmental pressure have a significant impact on the way we breath. Most of us have become mouth breathers, instead of the more effective and protective nasal breathing. We also tend to be shallow breathers through the upper chest and neck areas which only increases back and neck tension, as well as causing headaches. By practicing diaphragmatic breathing, we fill our lungs from the base where the blood vessels are more prolific for taking up oxygen. Through learning conscious breathing techniques, we bring balance, calm and energy back into our lives.
Finally, the third practice to nurture is meditation. In meditation we practice the art and science of detachment and attachment. We learn to observe our own brain activity and gently steer it towards our chosen meditation objective. For twenty minutes twice a day, we remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of life and spend quality time just being in the moment. We practice ‘dying moments’ as we release ourselves from the hold people, things, events and circumstances tend to have on our lives, remembering that one day we will have to let go of it all, so we might as well prepare ourselves for the inevitable. For more information on these and other ways of nurturing your nature, please contact me, psychologist in Fourways.